1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a headlight lamp holder, in particular for a motor vehicle, which is intended to carry a lamp, the cap of which is connected to a high-voltage connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
In headlights using a high-voltage lamp, the lamp emits an electromagnetic field that charges the reflector of the headlight with static electricity, increasing its electrical potential. In order to prevent the electrical potential increasing too much and causing sparks, the reflector must be electrically connected to the vehicle earth.
For this purpose, the lamp holder is produced from an electrically conductive material. The lamp holder is then electrically connected to the body of the high-voltage connector of the lamp, which is itself electrically connected to the vehicle earth. To electrically connect the lamp holder to the body of the connector of the lamp, equipping the lamp holder with contact claws is known.
Lamp holders of this type are already known. The lamp holder is generally equipped with claws that extend longitudinally towards the rear, projecting with respect to the rear end edge of the lamp holder. The claws thus extend in a ring over at least three quarters of the circumference of the rear end edge.
For their fixing to the lamp holder, the claws are generally produced in one piece with a clamping collar that is clamped around the external cylindrical wall of the lamp holder. This operation of clamping the claws on the lamp holder constitutes an additional operation in the assembly process, time-consuming, expensive, and liable to give rise to rejects.
However, such a design makes it difficult to mount the lamp on the lamp holder. This is because, in this arrangement, the claws partially block the rear orifice of the lamp holder in which the lamp must be inserted. It is in particular necessary to separate the claws in order to separate the lamp, and then actuate the means of fixing the lamp in the lamp holder. This operation requires in particular for the operator to be able to have access visually to the lamp holder in order to guide his actions.
In addition, in this arrangement, the size of the claws towards the rear is liable to pose problems for arranging the lamp holder in the engine.
In addition, the bayonet fixing of the connector on the lamp, and in particular the pivoting movement about the principal axis of the lamp holder, requires a relatively high force because the claws rub on the external wall of the body of the connector without being able to move away automatically.
What is needed therefore, is a lamp holder that overcomes one or more of the aforementioned problems.